The invention relates to, among other things, a method in which a terminal is operated on a switching facility. The terminal carries at least one indicating element which indicates operating modes of a terminal associated with the indicating element. The indicating element is driven by the switching facility with the aid of signaling messages in dependence on the operating modes of the terminal associated with the indicating element.
The indicating element is, for example, a lamp or a light-emitting diode (LED). However, the indicating element can also be a particular area on a screen or on a liquid crystal display (LCD).
The switching facility may be, for example, a telecommunication system or a so-called communication server. A communication server is a switching facility on a personal computer which is connected to a gateway via a local data transmission network, e.g. via a LAN, and forms a telecommunication system in this constellation. Apart from the voice transmission functions, this platform provides the possibility of multimedia communication. A personal computer is understood to be a data processing system which is originally provided for a single user.
The terminal may be, for example, a telephone which is connected to the switching facility via a line. However, the functions of the terminal can also be produced by a computer, e.g. by a personal computer.
A method as described above may be executed, for example, during the operation of the telecommunication system of the HICOM type which is produced by SIEMENS AG. However, this method is also executed by using a communication server, i.e. by using a telecommunication system based on a personal computer. It is possible to associate the indicating element either with a terminal which is connected to the same switching facility as the terminal carrying the indicating element. As an alternative, however, the indicating element can also be associated with a so-called external terminal, i.e. a terminal which is not connected to the same switching facility. However, the indicating element is only driven when the terminal associated with the indicating element is connected to the same switching facility, i.e. the same telecommunication system.
In the immediate vicinity of the indicating element, for example next to the indicating element, there is a function key via which the terminal associated with the indicating element can be reached. It is thus possible to perform so-called abbreviated dialing via the function key to external terminals or to terminals which are connected to the same switching facility.
In addition, there is a “pick-up” feature for terminals which are connected to the same switching system. With this feature, the two terminals are located, for example, in the same room or in immediate hearing range with respect to the ringing tone generated by the terminals. If the terminal associated with the indicating element is called, the incoming call can be picked up at the terminal which carries the function key and the indicating element by operating the function key associated with the indicating element.
The features “associating indicating elements and function keys with terminals” and “call pick-up” are intensively used by many subscribers and thus have high acceptance.